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Topic: Kenmore Washer Draining Slowly (Read 2021 times)

Model #417.44092500, the complaint on this washer was it would sometimes not seem to spin at full speed and when the clothes were removed, there would often be water still in the tub. Because a drain problem would be indicated for both of those problems, that is just where I started.

A Little TheoryFront load washers operate essentially like any top load washer in that they fill, agitate, drain and spin in order to wash clothes. But because of the high spin speeds used in front load washers to extract excess water, the controls will ensure all standing water has been removed from the tub prior to beginning a high speed spin in order to prevent damage due to the weight of spinning saturated clothes. So if all the water cannot be drained from the tub, most front load washers will never be able to enter a high speed spin and extract all the excess water.

Operation InterferenceIf there is standing water within the tub, that is an indication of the water not draining properly and if you see that, go directly to the drain pump and find out why. Because all the water was draining most of the time, that assured me the pump was still working, but most likely something was interfering with it's operation. Using my pliers, I removed the spring clamp holding the end of the sump hose onto the drain pump and pulled it free from the housing. Note that any water remaining in the sump will now be in the base of the unit and soon on the floor so have some towels handy. Once removed, I found a small nylon strap (the kind that hold tags to new clothes) had lodged itself behind the pump impeller slowing it down and reducing it's ability to pump water.

Check your PocketsFront load washers have a unique ability to remove objects from the pockets of clothes, and pull them through openings you wouldn't expect they would fit. After that, there next stop will be the sump and drain assembly where hopefully they do little or no damage during the journey. Always check your pockets before washing.

The customer was lucky this time, but it was an expensive lesson to learn. With the strap removed and everything back together, this washer was again draining and spinning as well as before.